My Thoughts on Denver (and Colorado) (Colorado Springs, Aurora: relocate, tornado, hoa)

[Imperial1904]

I only lived in Denver (Westminster) for a year but I have to say it was probably the friendliest place I ever been to. I currently live in Oregon and as much as people say how friendly Oregonians are, they're nothing compared to what I experienced in Colorado. I'm originally from Southern California, and in Oregon all you'll hear is how Californians are ruining the state. In my opinion Oregonians are stuck up. Not so in Colorado. The first time I took the bus in Denver, at 6 AM there is usually someone that's wanting to talk to you. I've had people ask if I'm from California and I have to ask how did they know. I feel they welcome Californians more than they do in Oregon.

Just driving down Colorado you can just pick up the vibe from each place. From Fort Collins you can tell it's a college town, Colorado Springs kind of a small town feeling, Pueblo being a large Hispanic town (for Colorado and its size).

I apparently been through some rough places in Denver without knowing. 5 Points, Aurora, and some have said Lakewood is like the projects around Colfax. To my surprise, they have a suburban feel. When someone told me those were the ghetto areas, I couldn't believe it. I never really seen any homeless people either.

The traffic on I-25 wasn't as bad as many think. I remember when I had to be at work at 7 AM and a storm left about a foot of snow and the freeway wasn't plowed yet. On I-25 from 92nd it was backed up. Speeds reached a max of 5 mph and I had to go to the downtown area. So rush hour traffic plus a foot of snow was the worse I ever seen it. If I can beat the morning rush hour with snow in Denver, driving in Oregon is nothing compared to that.

And the weather... first time I ever seen a tornado, green skies and clouds swirling.

Downtown Denver is also pretty clean. I arrived on Greyhound and the Denver station was by far the cleanest one I've been to. In San Diego, it's right next to the city jail, L.A. is pretty dirty, Oakland the same, Fresno, Salt Lake City, etc.

Overall, I liked my Denver experience.

[Micktooth]

I am glad you enjoyed your time here. My family and I moved from New Orleans last June and like you, we were blown away at the friendliness of the city. After Katrina, we looked at Dallas,Atlanta, and Denver as areas to relocate to. We are so happy that we chose Denver. I have lived in NY,MI,TX and LA and CO is by far the best place we have ever lived. In New Orleans everyone was so negative and pessamistic all of the time, even before Katrina. It so nice to be in an area that people speak highly of and want to live in. I hope you can make it back here,cause I know that I'm never going to leave!

[doggiebus]

Imperial1904 and Micktooth - thanks for your view, sounds like Denver is a great place.

[hello-world]

i agree denver's a great place in many ways, depending somewhat on your tastes and situation of course. and in your year of living in a suburb of denver and swinging through some spots, i think you could pick up some good first impressions at the least.

[Rawlings]

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hoss.

First of all I can personally attest that Denver is absolutely NOT more friendly than Oregon. That state is quite simply one of the friendliest around and that's coming from a Colorado native.

Next, whoever said Lakewood was a ghetto? It's always had the reputation--deserved--as one of the nicest areas in the metro area (at least most of it, anyway). Accept for the Colfax part the suburb Lakewood is very nice.

[MorningGlory]

Lakewood is a very nice suburb, the green mountain area anyway

[MorningGlory]

And also Colorado has become less friendly as more people move there over the last 30 years, everyone feels they wont be accepted but in reality hardly anyone anymore is a native.

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by Rawlings

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hoss.

First of all I can personally attest that Denver is absolutely NOT more friendly than Oregon. That state is quite simply one of the friendliest around and that's coming from a Colorado native.

Next, whoever said Lakewood was a ghetto? It's always had the reputation--deserved--as one of the nicest areas in the metro area (at least most of it, anyway). Accept for the Colfax part the suburb Lakewood is very nice.

Like I said, I'm from Southern California and (Denver) Colorado seemed alot nicer than Oregon.

The Lakewood part I was talking about was (if I can recall) Colfax & Wadsworth.

[hello-world]

i'd agree some of lakewood can seem pretty "ghetto", as in more like "white suburban ghetto". and some other parts of lakewood can seem like "new urbanism" gone crazy. and there are, in fact, also some gorgeous parts of lakewood that can be tough to see beyond all the 1958 brick ranches and strip malls along the main drags.

i'd also agree that coloradans, at least around the denver metro, are not necessarily all that friendly - polite, yes, and so first impressions can be great though relatively aloof/detached/"disinterested in things outside the clique" - however people put it - has been more par, a bit surprisingly, for much of the part in my experience.

[Micktooth]

I think one's perspective of "friendliness" depends on where one has previously lived. Like I said, I have lived in New York,Michigan, Dallas and New Orleans and the Denver area is far and away the "friendliest" place that I have ever lived.